The Colour Red
by CielBerlitz
Summary: When Kakashi unexpectedly wakes up in the past and sees Sakura's murderer sitting before him as a Genin, he knows there is only one thing he can do. Create a stronger Team 7, even if it means blinding Sasuke forever.
1. prologue: Scarlet

The Colour Red

**A/N: I have always been fascinated by two things: time travel stories and a blind Sasuke. So, why not combine both? I have not written for a looong time, so I hope this is up to par. I don't have a beta reader either, so if anyone catches any mistakes, please let me know! I have not written beyond this, but a storyboard has been planned out, so it should be fine.  
**

**I hope you guys enjoy! **

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Sasuke snapped round and Sakura choked as his fingers clamped around her throat. Fear gripped Kakashi and he sprang forward, sending bursts of chakra to his feet to make him move faster. _Faster! _The sound of birds filled the air. _Faster! _Sakura screamed. _Faster! _Dread overtook him as he stumbled – he wasn't going fast enough, he wasn't going to make it.

"No! Sasuke, don't-"

A horrible guttural sound drowned out his shout. The water splashed as Sakura's body was unceremoniously dropped into the river, the blue already colouring red. Sasuke stood silent with blood dripping from his open palm. Ice shot through Kakashi's veins. A cry tore through his lips and he grabbed his wrist, electricity already swirling around his body. His eyes locked onto Sasuke's still form as he started to pump more chakra into his palm. Sasuke was going to die here: he had fallen too low, there was no saving him now.

"No!"

Kakashi's head snapped up and the electricity around him fizzled, no more than a soft buzz. Bewilderment clouded his thoughts for a second. _Naruto._ Kakashi realised when his confused mind caught up with the situation.

"No! You bastard!" Naruto was kneeling down on the water now, hugging Sakura's lifeless body against his chest, blood seeping into his clothes. "Come on, Sakura, wake up. Wake up! _Wake up_." His head was buried in her pink locks, his voice thick.

Numbness filled Kakashi as he stared at the scene before him. The electricity faded completely. His mind was struggling to comprehend what was happening. Everything was moving so quickly now: Naruto had thrown up his head, a howl escaping his lips, red bubbles covering his skin, burning the air. It was so hot. Sasuke was looking down at the pair with unfazed red eyes. Naruto was growling as he stood up – fangs already protruding from his mouth – with chakra swirling in his palm. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and chirping filled the air once more. The two faced each other and then Naruto sprang forward in a half-human half-fox run. Sasuke charged forwards as well and the two were running towards each other with their most lethal attack.

And then with a snap clarity overtook him. Kakashi gasped and readied himself. He knew what he had to do: he was going to end it once and for all. This was the perfect moment! The Jounin took a slow breath and drew upon the last ounces of chakra in his body. _Mangekyou Sharingan! _Fatigue blurred his vision for a single second before Kakashi steadied himself and locked onto Sasuke's form.

_I'm sorry, Naruto… I couldn't save Sakura and I couldn't save Sasuke, either. I know you'll hate me for this, but I can't let him live any longer. _Pain exploded behind his eye. _Kamui!_

As a single stream of blood rolled down his cheek, Kakashi's eardrums almost burst when the Chidori and Rasengan finally clashed. Even as he got pushed back by the force exuded from the collision, Kakashi kept his Mangekyou dutifully focused on Sasuke – he couldn't fail now!

Fear overtook his senses as a blinding light flashed and engulfed the two clashing shinobi. He could already feel the air rippling around him. His eyes shifted slightly: Sasuke's form was already fading completely into the light. This was it.

The rippling became a full-on distortion in the air: it was impossible to see anything clearly now, only vague shapes and colours. A sharp pain shot through Kakashi's body and he fell forward onto one knee, almost sinking through the surface of the water due to chakra exhaustion. He barely noticed it was the colour red. Kakashi could only focus on the light that was getting brighter and brighter and the swirling that contorted his vision further. It was hurting his head. Fear gripped Kakashi as he tried to focus on something – anything – that was tangible, but found he couldn't.

What was going on? This had never happened before – did something go wrong?

Kakashi could feel the air rushing past his face as butterflies filled his stomach, like he was falling and never reaching the ground. Like he was soaring. Calmness spread over him: this was pretty nice. The ache in his muscles was already fading and the fear he had felt was being replaced by a serene sensation. Kakashi wouldn't mind floating like this forever.

_Tap! Tap! Tap! _

Kakashi groaned – what was that?

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

He rolled over, dipping his head under the blankets to drown out the sound. He didn't want to lose that calmness from before: it had been so comfortable and-

Wait – what? Blankets?

_TAP! TAP! TAP! _

"Kakashi! I know you're in there! Come on, we can't be late!"

That voice… no, it couldn't be. He quickly threw the covers off of him and ran towards the door, slamming it open to reveal the face of a man long dead. Euphoria filled Kakashi and he grinned elatedly. "Asuma!" Before he knew it, Kakashi was giving him a firm hug before letting go and smiling up at his friend.

Said friend was staring back in utter confusion: Kakashi was not known for physical signs of affection. "Ah, good morning, Kakashi," Asuma stammered. "I'm glad you're awake. It's orientation for the Genin today and it's a chance for us to have a look at them before the teams are decided. Ah come on! I know you want to see them!" Asuma clapped Kakashi on the back, laughing.

Kakashi stared at Asuma, disturbed. Genin orientation? What was going on?

"Ah, yes," he managed. "Let me just put on some clothes."

Kakashi slowly shuffled back inside his house. Because that's what it was: his _house_. And he was wearing his _pyjamas_. And _Asuma_ stood outside. What was this? It was no genjutsu – he had already tried dispelling it the second he saw Asuma. The copy ninja studied his room: it was the same as always. Wait – no, it wasn't. Kakashi strode towards his desk, upon which a picture frame. _One_ picture frame. There was no Team 7 photo – where did it go? He looked around once more, eyes resting on the lone calendar on the wall, showing a familiar date: the day he got appointed Jounin of Team 7.

"Kakashi?"

Asuma's voice snapped him out of his stunned staring. "Y-Yeah, I'm coming." He stammered, quickly putting on his Jounin vest, headband, a fresh shirt, trousers and sandals.

"Alright, let's go." Asuma nodded at Kakashi and the pair headed off towards the Hokage's office.

Confusion was bubbling inside of Kakashi. He was trying to make sense of what was happening. He was in the past, there was no doubt about it. The date, the picture, _Asuma_… But how did this happen? The last thing he remembered was using Kamui on Sasuke and then everything had gone blank. Could this be a parallel dimension created by the Mangekyou Sharingan?

Kakashi was so ensnared in his thoughts that he didn't even realise they had reached their destination until Asuma tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up, dazed. They were in front of the Hokage's building. As they went inside, Kakashi felt a bit abashed at not seeing the familiar faces of Tsunade's staff running around the place. The whole building had a different feel to it.

"Lord Third," Asuma dipped his head as they opened the door to the office.

"Ah, Asuma and Kakashi." The Third Hokage – _The Third _– smiled at them in contentment. "We're finally complete. I'm glad you came to collect him, Asuma, otherwise we'd have waited even longer." He chuckled.

The other Jounin sniggered, but Kakashi could not bring himself to reply with his trademark excuse.

"Alright then, let's have a look at the Genin." The Third motioned towards the crystal ball on his desk and the Jounin gathered round to peer into it.

As the faces of the Genin came into view one by one, Kakashi could not help but examine his Jounin colleagues and friends. All these people… knowing what they were going to go through in the future. Kakashi felt sick – the world they lived in was disgusting. This rotten shinobi system, taking the lives of so many of his friends.

"The most promising student: Sasuke Uchiha."

Red-hot anger flashed through his system. Kakashi's head snapped up towards the crystal ball, his nails digging into his palms. It was all he could do to stop lashing out at the piece of glass. Seeing Sasuke's face, so arrogant and self-absorbed, he wondered why he was ever glad at having the Uchiha as a student. This time, he'd make sure Sasuke was put on another team.

"He's the only survivor left from the Uchiha Clan…" Kurenai stated softly.

The vision in the crystal ball shifted to a group of girls in the classroom. Kakashi felt a pang of nostalgia as he noticed Naruto on the floor. He was so different back then… As the Jounin started talking amongst themselves about the selection of Genin, Kakashi realised he had been lost in thought again. People were starting to leave the room: the orientation was probably over. As he was about to exit the office, the Hokage motioned for him. Kakashi frowned: he faintly remembered this. The Third was going to ask him to take the team of Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura. _Sakura_… He felt guilty just thinking about her.

"Kakashi, I'm going to assign you to Team 7, consisting of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha," The Hokage told him. "I think you'd be-"

"Lord Third, I don't mean to be rude, but I really don't think I'm suited for this team. They seem like too much of a hassle, especially the Uchiha kid."

"Sasuke? Why would you say that? He graduated at the top of his class. Plus, he's an Uchiha. You are the most capable to train him once his Sharingan awakens. Kakashi, you are _best_ suited for this team." The Hokage said firmly. "As for Sakura Haruno, she's the top kunoichi of her year. And Naruto Uzumaki… he might be a bit troublesome, but he's a good kid." He smiled.

Kakashi was stunned silent – an idea had taken root. A really stupid idea. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Kakashi had looked at the end product when he really should have looked at the source of all their problems in the first place.

"Alright, I'll take them on, Lord Hokage."

The Third smiled contently and Kakashi clenched his fists in determination.

He would destroy that _damned_ Sharingan.

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**A/N: And that's the prologue done! Later chapters will obviously be longer. 'Till next time!  
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	2. Imperial Red

The Colour Red

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really happy that so many people are interested in this story, but I'm also a bit scared - I hope it's up to your expectations! I didn't have the time for it this week, but I will reply to all of your reviews with a PM, so keep an eye out for that. **

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Chapter 1 – Imperial Red

Kakashi took a deep breath before he closed his hand around the doorknob. _Steady, steady…_ It would do no good to lose control of his emotions on the first meeting. After all, he was going to spend a _long_ time with them. He smiled slightly: his cute little team. He couldn't wait to see them again. Kakashi slid open the door.

_TAP. _

"He fell for it!"

Kakashi stared at the loud orange and blond mess before him. _Oh yeah…_ He had forgotten this. He shook his head, creating a wispy white dust cloud around his face, and the board wiper fell to the floor with a dull thud. Kakashi slowly looked over the two students before him and his stomach tightened. Guilt. He was not going to make the same mistakes this time around.

"I'm sorry, sensei! I tried to stop him, but Naruto wouldn't listen to me…" More apologies streamed out of Sakura's mouth as she clasped her hands together and kept glancing down at the ground, afraid to meet his eyes.

Kakashi's peeked at the third student: Sasuke Uchiha. His one eye narrowed and he hurriedly bent down to pick up the board wiper, distracting himself. Gripping the item tightly, Kakashi looked over the trio for a final time. He was going to have to make a decision now – how to proceed?

"So, this was all his idea, then?" Kakashi drawled, staring pointedly at Sakura while he twisted the board wiper round in his hand.

She blanched. "Well, y-yes… I mean- _yeah_, it was his idea!"

"Sakura…" Naruto whined.

Kakashi's fingers dug into the board wiper, white smoke puffing out. _As expected._ "And you thought it was a good idea?"

"N-no!" Sakura exclaimed, almost looking insulted.

"You thought he would get caught, right?"

"Y-yeah, because, because you're a Jounin, sensei. There's no way you would fall for something like that…" She was wringing her hands together.

"So, then why didn't you stop him?"

"I-I _tried_, sensei! But he wouldn't-"

"No, you didn't try," Kakashi stated, "I can easily see he's besotted with you: he'd listen to you in an instant. Truth is, either you're in on the prank," he paused, "or you _wanted _him to take the fall. I can see no other explanation as to why you didn't stop him. Plus, you ratted him out, right?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she stared at him, mouth slightly open. For a second it seemed like she wanted to retort, but then she hung her head low. _Did I go too far? _Kakashi wondered. _No, no matter how much this is going to hurt now, it's necessary for their teamwork later._ The first time around, Kakashi _had_ noticed how Sakura only cared for one of her teammates, but he hadn't done anything about it, assuming it would work itself out after a few weeks working in the group. This time, he'd make her see how important teamwork was.

"Sakura would never do that! She _did_ try to stop me, but I didn't listen – it's my fault, sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, balling his fists and glaring at him.

Kakashi sighed. "You are a team now. You are going to go on missions together and face live-or-death situations together. You are going to laugh and cry together. There is no place for individualism on a team. The people in this room are going to be your closest friends, so get rid of your petty grudges and _work together_. Help each other, be there for each other…" Kakashi clenched his fists, pushing forward. "Girl, I'm disappointed in you: you obviously don't understand the essence of teamwork and would gladly let your teammate take the fall."

"Sensei…" Sakura started, but faltered when Kakashi raised his hand.

"And you," he turned to Naruto, "you _do not_ treat your Jounin instructor like that. You will be punished, thanks to your teammate. However…" he smiled slightly, "you did stand up for her, so for that, well done."

Kakashi surveyed his team. Sakura had wrapped her arms around her with her head to the floor while Naruto was narrowing his eyes, as if he was torn between feeling angry that the was getting punished or happy because of the compliment. The final student, Sasuke, was still sitting at his desk with his fingers laced together, but staring at the Jounin with wide eyes. Kakashi turned away quickly.

"How should I say this… my first impression of you guys… I hate you."

* * *

"Alright," Kakashi started as he leaned against the railing surrounding the roof, "let's introduce ourselves, one at a time…" He waited a few seconds for Sakura's question, but it never came. It seemed she was too disturbed by the ordeal in the classroom to say anything. "Alright then, you go first." Kakashi pointed at the blond.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he began, fiddling with his headband, "um… what should I say? Well, I don't like school because the lessons are boring and the teachers don't really like me. Except for Iruka-sensei! He took me out for ramen – which I like as well! Except the three minutes you have to wait for it to cook… I like learning new techniques, because I want to become powerful so I can become the greatest Hokage! Then everyone will stop disrespecting me and treat me like I'm somebody – somebody important!"

Kakashi nodded, smiling beneath his mask. "Alright, next."

He was staring intently at Sakura, who still seemed to be in her own world. She was gazing at the stone beneath her feet, hands clutching her knees tightly. He wondered if she had even been listening to Naruto's introduction.

"Girl," Kakashi said, raising his voice, "introduce yourself."

"Ah!" Her head snapped up and her eyes met Kakashi's for a brief second before she lowered her head again. "I-I'm Sakura Haruno. I'm 12 years old, my birthday is on March 28th and I like trivia games and memorising information for school. I _love_ syrup-coated anko dumplings," her voice lifted, regaining some energy, "and I _hate_ spicy food! My dream is to beat that pig Ino and – and…" She shot a look at Sasuke and stopped talking.

The Jounin nodded once before turning to the final team member. "And finally…"

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like… talking walks and training. I _hate_ being held back." He cast a warning glance at his two teammates. "And I want to become powerful so I can restore my clan and defeat… _that _man."

A warmth coursed through his body and Kakashi dug his nails into his arm. He had ignored Sasuke all morning, but now, faced with him, it was hard keeping his anger in check. He took a deep breath and wrenched his gaze away from the Uchiha. _Later, later..._ Instead, Kakashi focused on his other two students, feeling the warmth slowly fading.

"Good, you're each unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission-"

"Wait, sensei! What about you? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Sakura piped up, "I mean, we don't even know you're name!"

"Who, me?" Kakashi asked, pointing at himself, "well, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I don't really feel like telling you more about myself… well, I do have a dislike: scum that abandons their friends." It took all of his willpower not to pointedly glare at Sasuke. Sakura mouthed an 'okay' and returned her gaze to the ground. Kakashi felt a little twinge of guilt in his stomach at seeing her so dismayed: she thought he was talking about her.

He took another breath and continued talking. "As I was saying, we'll have our first mission tomorrow. It's a task that the four of us will do together: a survival test. But it won't be like your previous training." Kakashi chuckled at the unimpressed looks he was getting. He pushed forwards. "Of the 27 graduates who just came here, only nine will actually be accepted as Genin – the other 18 will be _weeded out_ and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make-it-or-break-it pass-fail test. And the chance that you'll fail is at least 66 percent."

"What?" Naruto yelled, sitting up. "we worked hard to get here! What was that graduation for anyway?"

"Oh, that? That was just to select candidates who _might_ become Genin… or not. That's how it is. _I_ decide whether you pass or fail." The Jounin watched Sakura wrap her arms around her knees. "Be at the designated training spot tomorrow at 5AM and bring your ninja gear."

Both Naruto and Sakura were shaking now, though one in anger and one in fear. Kakashi lifted himself up off the railing and turned his back on the students, only turning his head back for a brief moment to give them the warning about eating breakfast. Taking in their shocked expressions, he disappeared off the roof.

* * *

_What to do? _Kakashi wondered as he trailed through the village. He had thought about the survival test for the past hour now and still hadn't decided on a plan of action. Getting rid of the Sharingan was his first priority, getting Team 7 to work together was the second – that could come later. Though he didn't enjoy it, the act with the board wiper was the first push towards that second goal and Kakashi had no doubt it would pay off during the bell test.

But Sasuke was different story and a much harder objective. _I could just kill him. _The thought was sudden and unplanned. A weird feeling settled in his gut. It was so tempting: he would get revenge for Sakura _and_ the Sharingan would be gone. So many problems would be avoided… Kakashi let the thought swirl around his head for a bit longer before realising he had set foot on the Third Training Ground.

As expected, his team was already there.

"Morning everyone. I'm glad you're all here." Kakashi smiled and waved.

The predictable chorus of 'you're late!' followed and he gave his predictable excuse, this time involving a black cat. Kakashi smiled at the nostalgia. He took out the timer and placed it on the short tree stump sticking out from the ground.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Kakashi began, taking out the little silver bells. He motioned to the timer. "It's set for noon. Your assignment is very simple: you just have to take these bells from me – that's all there is to it. If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch and you'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura exclaimed, "there's three of us. How come there're only two bells?"

Kakashi simpered. "Well, _that_ way at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission – that one goes back to the Academy." He jingled the bells. "Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too. You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."

Sakura looked outraged. "Those weapons are too dangerous, sensei!"

"Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser!" Naruto chuckled.

"Good point, Naruto," the Jounin said, "we still need to talk about your punishment. Sakura, Sasuke, you two can begin as soon as I say 'start'. Naruto, you will wait here by the timer until one hour has passed. _Then_ you may begin as well."

The blond blanched and his arms dropped to his sides. Sakura nervously bit her lip and shot a sideways glance at her teammate, opening her mouth before closing it again and hugging herself. Sasuke looked up at the Jounin and bent his knees, bringing himself in a starting position. As soon as Sakura noticed, she hurriedly did the same: lowering down and focusing on Kakashi. Naruto trudged to the stump with his head hanging low.

"Start!"

Within seconds, Sasuke and Sakura had sprung up and out of sight. Kakashi scratched the back of his head. _I'm glad some things haven't changed. Still… _He could sense Sasuke's chakra up in one of the trees near the edge of the clearing. Kakashi gazed at the spot in contemplation, fingering the kunai in the pouch tied around his waist. This was a perfect opportunity…

"So, Naruto, which one of your teammates is going to get a bell first?" Kakashi quizzed, still watching the Uchiha's hiding place.

"Well," the blond scratched his head. "I think Sakura will – she's really smart!" He grinned.

Kakashi nodded. "Alright, I can accept that. But there are still only two bells. So who do you think should go back to the Academy?"

Naruto didn't reply, only shifted his position slightly. He looked up at Kakashi with a thoughtful expression and then turned his gaze towards the clearing, crossing his arms. It didn't seem like there would be any answer from the boy, so Kakashi turned his attention back to the trees, pleased that Sasuke had not moved from his original position. He took the kunai from his pouch and took a step forwards.

"I don't think any of us should go back to the Academy." Naruto stated firmly.

Kakashi smiled and flickered out of sight.

Sasuke cursed when the Jounin disappeared – where was he? He glance around suspiciously but there was no sign of someone approaching. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Hello there." Kakashi waved joyfully, before his eyes narrowed. "You really should learn how to conceal yourself better, Sasuke."

The Uchiha quickly jumped down into a small clearing on the other side of the trees, readying himself. Kakashi did the same, surveying the boy. _Should I really kill him?_ He thought about Naruto's words. In the original timeline, it would take months before Naruto could acknowledge Sasuke as a friend. There had been so much progression already by only changing a few things. Could Sasuke be changed as well?

Sakura's scream filled his head and Kakashi clenched his fists, glaring at the boy in front of him. _No, he cannot be changed_. He thought about his other students. _But _they_ can._ _I'll let Sasuke live, if only for Naruto and Sakura. But, that Sharingan is not allowed to exist._

"Let's start then, shall we?" Kakashi beckoned the Uchiha.

Sasuke wasted no time snatching a handful of shuriken from his pouch and launching them at Kakashi, but the Jounin dodged them easily by moving to the left. In a flash Sasuke was behind him, aiming a kick at his chest. Kakashi blocked the attack with his arm and grabbed hold of the boy's ankle. Sasuke twisted round and threw a punch instead, which was blocked by Kakashi's other hand. The Uchiha contorted his body one more time to aim his other leg at the Jounin's head, but it smashed into Kakashi's forearm instead.

Sasuke suddenly smirked: the bells were in plain sight. Last time, Sasuke had managed to graze his fingers against them, but Kakashi was not going to let that happen _this _time around. He might have decided against killing the boy, but that didn't mean he was going to go easy on him. This was indeed a perfect opportunity.

Kakashi released his grip on the boy's limbs and slammed his fist into Sasuke's gut. Sasuke dropped to his knees and doubled over, choking. He soon got himself together and glared at Kakashi while taking a few deep breaths to get the air back in his lungs. He then lunged at the Jounin, swinging his fist. But it was too slow. Sasuke realised it the second he saw Kakashi's expression. The man ducked under the punch and struck against Sasuke's ribs with his elbow, making the Uchiha contort his face in pain.

"Damn it…" the boy groaned, clutching his side. Definitely bruised. He snapped his hands together and started moving his fingers. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Kakashi reacted instantly, shouting, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

A liquid dragon rose up from the river behind Kakashi and charged towards the fireball that came from Sasuke. The two jutsu collided in the middle of the small clearing and a large cloud of steam enveloped the two shinobi. Sasuke coughed and winced at the pain it caused him – damn ribs. His eyes widened when he saw two shuriken fly at him. He tried to sidestep to the right, but was too slow and felt a sharp pain on his left cheek. Sasuke cursed and pressed his hand against his cheek. When he pulled back he saw blood.

Kakashi watched the boy quietly. _I think that's about enough… I'll think of a plan for those eyes later._

"Earth Style: Head Hunter Jutsu!"he said discreetly, his body slipping into the ground.

The second Kakashi felt Sasuke's chakra above him, he burst up through the soil and wrapped a hand around his ankle. The Uchiha gave a startled yelp as he was pulled down into the ground. Kakashi smirked from his position above land, staring down at Sasuke's face. He then lifted himself up and turned away, taking out his book for the first time that day.

"The nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down." Were his only words.

Sakura froze when she spotted the head of her crush blinking back at her. She took a few collected breaths and stalked towards Sasuke, quickly getting on her knees and tugging at the rocks around his neck.

"What happened? Your face is bleeding!"

"Kakashi," Sasuke replied, "he caught me off guard – he's stronger than I thought. I couldn't even get _near_ a bell."

"Yeah… about that. I think we should work together to get the bells. If even _you_ couldn't get near one, then I don't think Naruto and me will have much luck. We should make a plan together!" Sakura beamed at her crush, still digging at the rocks.

Sasuke looked contemplative. "How much time do we have left?"

"Once Naruto joins we'll have exactly one hour to complete the test," Sakura responded, "I'm not sure how long until then, but at least we get a little head start."

Sasuke wriggled his freed arms. "What are you talking about?"

She looked shocked. "Well, we're not going to leave him out of it! Think back to what Kakashi-sensei said: he _hates_ scum that abandons their friends. We're a team now, and if we purposely exclude Naruto, I have a feeling Kakashi-sensei will fail us even _if_ we get the bells. And… I still need to make up for what happened yesterday."

Sasuke was silent for a long time, but then he nodded. "Let's do it."

Sakura grinned and helped lift the Uchiha from the ground: now completely free. Her expression darkened when she noticed the way Sasuke avoided leaning on his right side.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Sasuke replied, immediately straightening his posture.

"Sasuke," Sakura firmly said, "if you're hurt you're only going to burden the team. So tell me what's wrong so I can help– it's your ribs, right?" She pointedly stared him in the eyes.

Sasuke only nodded his head in affirmation and the kunoichi sighed, taking a piece of cloth from her pouch and walking towards the river, dipping the material in the water. She then returned to Sasuke. Her eyes narrowed when she lifted up his shirt: a large bruise was already showing. She softly pressed the cloth against his body and Sasuke gave a hiss of pain, making Sakura wince.

"I'm sorry the water isn't colder – it's all I can do," Sakura bit her lip. "Your ribs are bruised," she stated with a shaky voice, "pretty bad. You won't be able to move without pain. And if you _do_ move you'll only make it worse. I'm not sure what to do…" She paused for a long while. "Alright, Sasuke, this is the plan: Naruto and me will get the bells and you're going to wait-"

"Absolutely _not_!" The Uchiha hissed. "I need a bell – I need to pass! I'm not going to lay here and let you and the dead-last become Genin while I get sent back to the Academy!"

"Sasuke!" She cried. "I'm only thinking about your health! I don't want you to get hurt more… I _promise_, Naruto and me _will_ complete this mission! And about the bells… if it's necessary, _I'll_ give my bell to you. You seem to need it more than I do: I can handle another year at the Academy." She was almost in tears.

Sasuke could only stare at her in wonder. "You would do that… for me?"

"Yes." Sakura stood up. "Now I'm going to find Naruto. You stay here, alright?"

Sasuke nodded, still stunned, and Sakura sprinted back towards the main clearing. She quickly found Naruto leaning against the tree stump: he seemed to be deep in thought. Sakura slowly shuffled towards the other side of the tree stump and sank to her knees, leaning around towards the blond.

"Naruto! _Naruto_!" Sakura hissed, beckoning him.

"Hmm?" The blond turned his head. "Sakura!" His eyes lit up.

"How much time until you can join?"

Naruto glanced at the timer. "Ten more minutes."

Sakura put a finger to her chin. "Hmm, alright, come join me over there in ten minutes." She pointed at the trees surrounding the area. "There's a small clearing behind those trees."

"What – why?"

"We're going to make a plan so we can get those bells from Kakashi-sensei," Sakura whispered, quickly glancing around to make sure they were alone. "Sasuke is already there."

"Sasuke?" Naruto whined. "I thought it would be just the two of us!"

Sakura groaned in frustration. "_No_, we're going to work together. All _three_ of us – as a team. That's the only way we'll be able to get those bells." Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but Sakura held up a hand. "Believe me, Naruto, this is the only way. Kakashi-sensei hates people who don't work together, so that's why we need to do this."

"But there are still only two bells! Who is going home?"

Sakura bit her lip, avoiding Naruto's eyes. "We'll think about that later…" Naruto nodded happily and Sakura stood back up. "And, Naruto… I'm sorry about yesterday."

Naruto stared at her. "It's no problem, Sakura." He smiled sincerely.

"Thanks, Naruto." Sakura beamed. "I'll see you in a bit!"

From his position in the trees, Kakashi smiled.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to end after the bell test, but it started becoming longer and longer so I had to cut it in two parts. **

**So, what did you guys think? I'm sorry for the parts that were taken directly from canon. The story is going to be pretty much the same up until after the Land of Waves arc, where the plot will _really_ start. Until that time, Kakashi will keep making small changes to improve the team dynamic and actually train his team!**

**See you next time! **


	3. Amaranth

The Colour Red

**A/N: I am so sorry for this long wait. There has been a lot going on, which kinda distracted me from writing. But I finally got around to it, so here's the new chapter! Again, thanks for all your reviews (which I finally managed to reply to) and I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 2 – Amaranth

He decided he wouldn't go spy on them. Even though their chakra signatures were blazing and giving away their positions, he wouldn't do it. Them working together had already secured them a passing mark, so there was no need to give them a taste of the problems the real world would give them if they left themselves open like this. _That_ lesson could come later. Kakashi smiled: he was looking forward to seeing what plan they would come up with.

* * *

The two boys were staring at Sakura as she drew a large circle in the sand before her. Her finger hovered over the dust for a second. She wrote a 'K' in the middle and then started on a smaller circle next the first. There she marked the three starting letters of their names.

"You can still use chakra, right, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she turned to the boy. He nodded. "Alright, then you should use your Fireball Jutsu to distract him from… here." She etched an arrow into the sand, starting from the bottom of the big circle and leading towards the 'K'. She marked a little 'S' at the beginning of the arrow.

"He's a Jounin," the Uchiha noted with difficulty, clutching his side as leaned towards the sketches, "he's not going to get distracted like that."

"Doesn't matter. It just needs to get his attention while _we_," She glanced at Naruto, "sneak around to here." A line was drawn towards the top of the big circle.

"And then we attack him, right?" Naruto exclaimed loudly.

"Shh!" Sakura hissed as Sasuke put a hand to his head and sighed.

"Oh right, right – sorry!" The blond nodded vigorously.

Sakura shook her head before exhaling and looking back at her drawing. "Now pay attention. This is what we're going to do…"

* * *

_It's starting! _Kakashi's body involuntarily tensed when he felt a chakra spark. His eyes focused on the treeline before him while he absently noted two chakra signatures moving around the edge of the clearing.

The heat was instant: he could feel it on his face. Jumping back, the smell of burning filled Kakashi's nostrils, and a strand of charred hair sizzled out against his cheek. Fire!

As soon as the fire had appeared, it died out. The red inferno didn't die down slowly, but rather dissipated into the air, leaving a long stretch of scorched grass leading towards the treeline. Sasuke was powerful, but his inability to pace himself became very apparent here. He might have been able to draw out some more fireballs if he didn't pour every ounce of his chakra into this one. Then again, it might have been as a result of his injury. Whatever the case, Sasuke was out of the game.

The air moved – a whooshing sound. Something was rushing towards him.

Kakashi spun round, slipping a hand into his pouch. A clang resonated through the field as the approaching kunai met his own, with just enough force to leave a scratch but too little to push him back. The aim was good though, Kakashi had to admit. Intent to kill – a blow straight to head, just as he had told them.

There was another air ripple. And then suddenly there was a multitude of both kunai _and_ shuriken racing for him. Calmness washed over Kakashi, his fingers tightened around his own kunai and his eyes locked onto the oncoming attack. He ducked low – two shuriken shot over his head – and began weaving hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Kakashi called out.

The earth rumbled and shook and a large brick-like structure shot from the surface. It resembled a box with three sides that left only his back undefended and adorning the outside there were four bulldogs with leering eyes carved from the stone. Kakashi heard the remaining weapons smashing into the wall, indicated by sharp ringing sounds.

"_Now_!"

Tiger – Boar – Ox – Dog – Snake.

A dozen Naruto clones sprinted at the Jounin, kicking and punching and hitting, trying to grab one of the bells. The second a clone managed to get close, Kakashi vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving a lone log behind. The clones gave a startled gasp, their faces contorted in frustrated scowls. From his hiding place in the bushes Kakashi simpered: it was a nice try. A good attempt at trying to distract him and then attack from multiple directions and in multiple ways. Too bad they failed.

Kakashi estimated there were about 25 minutes left on the timer. He was curious to see what Naruto and Sakura would do, since they had given away their strategy. Not only that, but they had both revealed their positions: Sakura by her yelling and Naruto by his clones. It was of course possible that the real Naruto was not among the clones, but knowing the blond, he wouldn't want to miss out on the action.

Well, no fun in hiding forever.

Kakashi flickered back into the open and was immediately jumped by four clones. Naruto was very unskilled with his blows, opting to lash out at random instead of focusing on the Jounin's weak points. One of the clones – or was it the real one? – launched a kick at his head, which Kakashi dodged by spinning left. Another Naruto was before him instantly, but Kakashi rammed an elbow into his gut and the boy went up in smoke.

"Take this, Kakashi-sensei!"

Another three clones joined the fray. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi noticed a pink blur coming closer, but his view was soon obscured by a blond head. The clone was throwing punch after punch his way, forcing Kakashi to step backwards to avoid the hits. The Jounin jumped up, spinning round with an outstretched leg that collided with two clones, destroying them.

"Come on, Naruto, you'll have to do better than that," Kakashi lazily said as he landed, slamming his arm into the clone that attempted to jump him from behind, "otherwise you'll never get a bell."

"Ahh! Shut _up_, Kakashi-sensei!" The Naruto farthest to the left yelled.

Kakashi smirked: _that_ was the real one.

Flickering towards the blond that had spoken, Kakashi grabbed the boy's neck and pushed him to the ground, the strength forcing him to his knees. The move was completely harmless and was in no way meant to hurt Naruto, it was just a way to end this test with no way of retaliation.

"Call off your clones, Naruto. You've lost." Kakashi said in the most decisive tone he could muster. He really couldn't wait to see the faces of his students when he told them they had passed.

A small chuckle came from behind him and then things happened very fast. Naruto disappeared under his grip and Kakashi stumbled forwards onto one knee, fingers grasping the air. It took only a second for Sakura, Naruto and the remaining two clones to dive towards him, feverishly reaching for the bells.

Kakashi leaned forwards onto the balls of his feet, pressing them into the ground before springing backwards into a handstand – kicking his feet against the two clones to dispatch of them in the process – and landing neatly just outside of the scuttle. Sakura and Naruto gave him a startled look: perhaps it took them a while to process what had just occurred. Their plan almost worked, after all.

_ringringringringring_

The shrill sound of the timer surprised all three of the shinobi. Sakura gave a startled little jump, her eyes widening when the realisation set in: they had lost. She let out a shaky breath and then the tears came, silently rolling down her flushed cheeks.

Naruto sank to the ground, his legs giving away underneath him – the strength sapped from his limbs. He slammed a fist against the dirt, "_Damn it_!".

Kakashi waited a few moments before speaking. "Well, that's the end of the test. Come on, let's go to the posts." He motioned to the three stumps many yards behind him with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

The two shinobi didn't react right away, it seemed they were still caught in the shock of the moment. Naruto slowly lifted himself up off the floor and gave Sakura an apologetic look before trudging to the allocated place. The fight in him was completely gone, a sight Kakashi was not used to. Perhaps Naruto knew there was no reasoning with the Jounin, no way to get out of the test's terms. Still, Kakashi found it a little unsettling.

"I'll just go get Sasuke…" Sakura managed quietly, leaving for the treeline where the Uchiha was waiting, "I don't think he can get over here by himself."

Kakashi nodded absentmindedly and followed Naruto to the posts. Two lunchboxes wrapped in green were neatly placed in front of them, almost tauntingly. Not a single word was spoken between the two shinobi as they waited. Luckily, the silence didn't last long: only a few minutes passed before Sakura arrived with Sasuke, who was leaning onto her. The kids took their places and waited for their sensei to speak.

Kakashi stared down at his three students, arms folded menacingly across his body. It didn't really have the desired intimidating effect though, since none of the young shinobi were even _looking_ at him. Sakura's attention was fully on Sasuke, who leaned against a post with a pain-ridden expression. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to have created some distance between him and his teammates, opting to stare at the sand in solitude.

"In my years as a Jounin, I have never passed a single team. Nobody thinks like a ninja, more like little kids, or _brats_," he spat out the last word and finally his students decided to give him a little attention, turning their heads to meet his gaze, "nobody realised what this test was _really_ about."

"What… this test was really about?" Sakura parroted.

"Yes. The reason why the test is the way it is. Do you know?"

"Well, I… um," Sakura began, trailing off with confusion in her voice.

"Why do we put three people on a squad?" Kakashi challenged, a little more force in his voice than he'd have liked. But he wanted her to figure this out on her own, _all_ of them to realise why they had passed his test. "Well?" He pressed when Sakura remained silent.

The girl threw up her hands with a sound of frustration. "How am I supposed to _know_ that?"

Kakashi was silent for a long time, suppressing a sigh: he had expected Sakura to know the answer. She was the one who came up with the plan to work together in the first place, after all. But maybe it was too early for her, too early to pull the two boys together into a tight-knit team. He should have known better, Kakashi concluded. Sakura still needed time.

"… teamwork."

_What? _

"The real purpose of this test was to work together," Sasuke continued in a strained voice, "Kakashi told us he hates scum that abandons their friends. You even said it yourself, Sakura: you thought that we'd be failed even if we managed to get a bell, because we wouldn't be working together." He turned to face the Jounin. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Never, in a million years, had Kakashi expected to hear Sasuke even _utter_ the word 'teamwork'. He coughed awkwardly, "Yes, you are correct, Sasuke. This test was all about teamwork. It's impossible to get a bell all by yourself, but if you work together with your team, you _might_ be able to get one."

"But, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura interrupted with balled fists, "you set it up with three people and only _two_ bells. What would have happened if we actually got the bells?"

"I purposely pitted you against each other," Kakashi explained, "I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourself. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork, after all." He smiled. "And you had just that, Sakura."

"W-what?" she stammered, the tension leaving her body.

Kakashi spread his arms wide as if to include all shinobi into the conversation as well. "At the beginning of this test you focused only on yourself, with little result. But Sakura realised that the only way to even have a chance at getting a bell was to work together-"

"But, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto began with a strange tone to his voice, speaking up for the first time, "why did you make me start late? What if they started working together and left me out of it? Then I would have to go back to the Academy!" He was standing up now, body shaking and angry eyes directed at the Jounin.

Kakashi let out an amused sound. "You should have more faith in your teammates, Naruto: they purposely waited until you were able to join them. As for why I punished you, you _really_ should have more respect towards your teacher." He added in an entertained tone.

Naruto gave an embarrassed huff and quickly folded his arms. There was a red tint on his cheeks, but also a small twinge to the corner of his mouth, a little half-smile. Kakashi was glad to see his fiery spirit was back at least: a sullen Naruto made him uncomfortable.

"Ninja missions are carried out in squads," Kakashi began, repeating the speech he gave last time around, "of course, you need individual skills as well, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every shinobi understands this: when individuals put themselves above the squad, this leads to failure and _death_. On every mission your life is on the line…" He turned his back to the students and towards the large stone he'd been ignoring ever since he got to this training ground.

The black ebony rock stood out in the grassy surroundings, almost unnaturally so. The surface was cold when Kakashi slid his hand over it, feeling the small slits and carvings that adorned it.

"Did you look at this stone?" Kakashi challenged, more to start the conversation than to get an answer. Because did he really expect them to look at a stone when they were in the middle of an important test? "The names engraved on it? They are all ninja who are honoured as heroes in our village."

"That's it, that's it, that's it!" Naruto jumped up in excitement. "Now I know! I've decided I'm going to have _my_ name engraved on that stone – I'm not going to live and die for nothing! I'm going to be a hero, a _hero_!"

Kakashi glanced back. Of course Naruto would react exactly the same way: there hadn't been enough changes yet to warrant a different attitude. "They are… a special kind of hero."

"Huh? What kind of heroes are they? Come _on_, tell us!"

"They are all… KIA." Kakashi replied.

There was a short silence in which the Jounin suspected Naruto was trying to think about that word and what it meant. "Ooh… that sounds real cool!" He grinned widely.

Sakura opened her mouth as if compelled to say something, but no sound came out. She wrung her hands together – unable to hid the uncomfortable feeling she had at having to explain. But it seemed like no one else was taking that responsibility and she couldn't bear another second of this dense silence. "It means killed in action… they all died."

An odd hitching noise left the back of his throat as Naruto stepped back, wide blue eyes and cheeks flushed with the colour red. His head bowed down, unable to meet the gazes of his teammates or his teacher.

"This is a memorial stone: the names of my closest friends are engraved here," Kakashi told them solemnly, "I want you all to realise the dangers of this life. Be there for each other, support each other, make sure nobody ends up on that stone." He trailed off into a melancholy silence before turning back to his students and grinning widely behind his mask, the cloth contorting around his lips. "I definitely want you all to remember that, because from this moment on, you're ninja!"

The mood change was so abrupt that it almost gave Kakashi whiplash: Sakura was jumping up and down with flailing arms, her shouts of happiness joined by Naruto's loud voice. Tears were streaming downs the boy's face and his mouth was stretched into a huge toothy grin. Even the Uchiha was smiling, though Kakashi paid him no heed.

"I did it, I did it! I'm a ninja!" Naruto beamed.

In a weird rush of boldness, Naruto grasped Sakura's hand and smiled widely at her. Her lips twitched slightly – a smile? – and a light rosy colour tinted her cheeks. She gave Naruto a quick hug before darting over to Sasuke, lowering herself down to his level to meet his eyes. The two started conversing in soft tones that Kakashi couldn't catch.

"I guess you guys deserve your lunch now – well done," he praised, picking up the two boxes and handing one to Sakura and one to Naruto, "divide them amongst yourselves."

Kakashi watched his students divide the food with a small sentimental smile. It was nice seeing the three of them interact like this, with no worries and no problems. He let out a sigh – soft enough to be drowned out by Naruto's excited chatter – and crossed his arms again.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"I assume you know why you're here?"

Kakashi looked up with his one revealed eye, staring into the dark ones of the man opposite him. He gave a barely noticeable nod, indicating the man could continue. Said man took out a stack of white paper and placed it before him on the oak table, his dark-skinned hands folded together.

"We are here to discuss your treatment of Sasuke Uchiha during the test to become a Genin. Sasuke was injured as a result of this test and was forced to go to the hospital, where he was treated to heal his bruised ribs," The man started reading from the papers. "The testimonies given by your students reveal that this injury was caused by your doing, Kakashi, and the council-"

Kakashi supressed an inward scowl and said nothing, gripping the edges of the table. He wished Sarutobi would hurry up with the formalities and get to the real point. Why was the Hokage handling this case anyway? Weren't there more pressing matters to attend to?

"So, what is your response to this, Kakashi?" The Hokage asked, looking up from the paper.

Kakashi took his time to answer, weighing the words in his mind. "I did not hurt Sasuke on purpose, Lord Third. It was simply an accident."

"Yes," The Hokage drew out the word, giving Kakashi a hard look. "That's what you said before. But the council finds it strange that a Jounin of your level would make a mistake like that. And I have to agree with them." He paused. "What is really going on, Kakashi? Is this something personal between you and the young Uchiha?"

Kakashi almost laughed. "What could possibly be going on between Sasuke and me? I only met the kid two days ago." The irony was both hilarious and horrifying.

The Hokage gave a long drawn out sigh. "I believe you would never do anything to hurt your students, Kakashi. But the council _needs_ a reason or you risk being suspended."

Kakashi stayed silent: there was no reason he could give them – nothing the council would be happy with at least. But he wasn't too worried. He knew the council adored the little Uchiha and _they_ knew that Kakashi was the only one who could actually train a Sharingan. He wouldn't get suspended.

"Alright, then," The Hokage folded the papers back. "We'll label it an accident until further notice. Until then, you will pay all of Sasuke's hospital bills as a result of the _accident_ and you will be on an unpaid leave until the council has made a decision. This means no more missions except training your team."

Kakashi slowly rose to his feet. "Is that all, Lord Third?"

"Yes, you may go." The Hokage gave a dismissive wave of his hand, absorbed in the paperwork before him.

Only when Kakashi set his first foot outside the building did the conversation he had just had fully register in his mind. He was in trouble: with the council scrutinising his every move, he had to be very careful with the way he treated Sasuke. Just ignoring the kid and training the other two would be impossible now – the council expected the Uchiha to become a great shinobi.

So how was he going to move forward?

The bell test was completed brilliantly and the next thing he remembered happening in the original timeline was the Wave mission with that bridge builder. That _had_ to happen this time as well. It was the mission that solidified a bond between Naruto and Sasuke for the first time. He wanted Naruto to go through that experience again: it was one of the things that made him who he was today. _Or rather, tomorrow_, Kakashi added mentally.

So he would focus on that for now. Until the council had made their decision, he would make Team 7 a strong and stable team that was able to handle the upcoming mission.

And after that, Sasuke's eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Finally done with the bell test! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope it's not too wordy, because I can get a little too descriptive when writing and that tends to slow down the pacing a lot.  
**

**In any case, see you next time!**


	4. Redwood

The Colour Red

**A/N: I cannot keep to a schedule and I am really sorry about it! It's just been a really busy time the past month and though it won't get any better, I'll definitely try to at least cut down on my posting time. In any case, enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 3 – Redwood

Kakashi was not a man who liked to remember his past. With 30 years of memories and most of them bad, that was no surprise. He preferred to live in the here and now and because of that, most of his memories had blurred. His younger years were still vivid and clear in his mind, due to the constant visiting of the Memorial Stone. But what had happened after the war – his time with ANBU – hadn't really registered. And likewise, the time he led Team 7 wasn't that clear. It wasn't hazy per se, but not as graphic as he would have liked: a lot of details were missing.

It gave him a headache.

He groaned as his eyes returned to the desk in his room: papers with words and lines and diagrams were scattered across the surface. Kakashi had been up all night trying to remember every little detail about his past, his time with Team 7. The bridge builder would be arriving next week – maybe? It was a rough estimate – to ask for escorts to his home country. So he had until then to give his team adequate training to handle Zabuza and his protégé.

_And, hopefully, get clearance from the council, _his tired mind added.

He had gone through multiple training plans already but all of them had to be scrapped. There was just too little time to create a scheme that would fully prepare his students for the upcoming mission. At the end of the day everything led back to one basic problem he had failed to deal with in the previous timeline until much later.

Kakashi stared at the piece of paper in front of him. It was time to go back to the basics.

* * *

"Dead."

Sakura shrieked as the knife touched her neck. Her male team mates spun round, hands at their pouches and bodies lowered into a defensive stance. A chorus of frustrated sighs filled the air when the students saw Kakashi lazily sitting on the railing of the bridge with a humorous twinkle in his one visible eye. A kunai was in his grip, the pommel pressing against Sakura's neck.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called in outrage, "what was that for?"

"What?" Kakashi replied in mock confusion, "oh, this?" He gave a glance at the weapon in his hands and casually pocketed it.

Sakura exhaled in relief, her body sagging slightly after the tense posture she had maintained. She finally dared to move and turned around to look at Kakashi with some sort of insulted look in her eyes. The Jounin hopped down from the railing onto the bridge and leaned against it with folded arms, giving his students a challenging look. A silence elapsed over the four shinobi.

As always, Sakura was the one to collapse first under the heavy silence: "Kakashi-sensei, that really scared us," she tried carefully, but faltered once she saw the hard look in the Jounin's eyes.

"Yeah, why did you do that?" Naruto exclaimed, "you scared Sakura!"

Kakashi's lips twitched as he tried to suppress a smile: seeing Naruto act like this – as if frightening his crush was the worst possible thing someone could do – was kind of cute. He had _really_ forgotten how his team was in the early days. Though, he couldn't say he really missed them being like this: Naruto was loud and obnoxious, Sakura was unskilled and completely unaware of things and Sasuke… he didn't really want to think about him.

"I think being scared is the least of your problems. If I had been a hostile ninja Sakura would be _dead_," Kakashi let the word hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "And this brings us to our first lesson: chakra control!"

The three shinobi stared back at him, not looking very impressed. Naruto was the first to speak: "What? Why are we doing more training? I want to go on missions! We passed your test, didn't we? Let's do some real ninja work!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I don't think you're ready for any missions," he lied smoothly. He couldn't tell them the _real_ reason they weren't able to go on missions, after all.

"Why aren't we ready?" Naruto whined, ending his sentence with folded arms and a resolute pout on his face.

"Yeah," Sakura added, "we were the only team you ever passed for your test." She smirked slightly, as if proud of her observation.

"_Yeah_," Kakashi said in a clipped tone, "that might be true, _however_… you won't survive a day in the field. Weren't you paying attention just now? If I had been an enemy ninja, _Sakura would be dead_. You need a lot more skills before you're ready to even think about any missions. And that's why we're starting right at the beginning, with the _basics_."

Finally his students were silent, looking at least willing to follow his lesson. Kakashi gave a sharp motion with his hands towards the Third Training Ground, indicating they should move over there. As the shinobi started walking – Kakashi leading the pack and the Genin trailing behind – Kakashi thought about why he hadn't bothered to train them in the original timeline. It really had been quite lacking of him, going on a C-ranked mission with an unprepared team. He cringed at the memory.

"Alright, who can tell me about chakra?" Kakashi quizzed as he turned to face his students.

He watched patiently as Sakura waited a few seconds – giving the males by her side a quick look – before speaking, "Chakra is the elemental life energy a ninja uses in jutsu – it's the source of all their power. Now, this energy has two forms, physical energy, which exists in all the cells in the entire body, _and_ spiritual energy, the primal source of power that is intensified through meditation and experience. These two types of chakra must be drawn out and work together in order to perform a jutsu. There is an interplay between physical and spiritual power – that's the key. Finally, hand signs focus and release the chakra."

Naruto stared at her in shock as she finished her barrage of words, all tumbling out of her mouth in quick succession.

"That's nice and all, but we're already using chakra in our jutsu," Sasuke noted with folded arms.

"You might be using it, but you haven't _mastered_ it," Kakashi replied coldly, "each jutsu requires a specific combination of physical energy and spiritual energy. Up until now, you've merely guessed at these proportions. It's very inefficient – you waste so much chakra that way that you won't last long in a fight."

"So then… how do we learn _not_ to do that?" Naruto scratched the back of his head.

"First," Kakashi held up a finger. "We're going to learn how to focus our chakra so that drawing out the energy becomes second nature to us. That way, you won't waste your energy when using a jutsu."

Sakura looked puzzled. "How are we going to do that?"

Kakashi spread out his arms. "You see these trees all around us? You're going to climb them. With your feet." He ignored the shocked and confused looks of his students and continued on. "This will teach you how to draw a precise amount of chakra to a precise point in your body. It will require a subtle mix of physical and spiritual energy. Also, the bottom of the feet are the most difficult part to focus chakra. This exercise will also teach you how to maintain your chakra. Losing your control in a battle can be deadly, that's why maintaining chakra must become second nature to you."

Naruto stared at him with a disappointed expression – perhaps the exercise didn't sound as exciting as he had hoped? On the other side, Sasuke and Sakura held some sort of interested gleam in their eyes as they studied the trees.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Here, you can mark your progress with these kunai," He tossed the weapons at their feet. "Now start!"

The three each picked a tree: Sakura waited until Sasuke had chosen his before taking the one next to it and Naruto decided on the tallest tree he could find. They all stood silent and Kakashi could feel their chakra sparking in their bodies, all of it streaming downwards towards their feet. He watched as Naruto was the first to place a tentative foot on the trunk, taking a breath before lifting up the other one and… falling back.

"You might want to try running at the tree," Kakashi noted, "it will help to have a little momentum before you start."

Naruto jumped to his feet. "And you're telling me _now_?"

Kakashi just simpered in reply and watched as his students jogged back until they were a good distance away from their trees. The scene played out exactly as it had in the original timeline: Sasuke used too much energy, Naruto too little and Sakura the exact right amount.

"Well done, Sakura," Kakashi praised, looking up at her smiling face.

She giggled and swung her feet back and forth. "This is fun!"

"Yeah, way to go, Sakura!" Naruto cheered, "I knew you were amazing!"

"Thanks, Naruto," she smiled, though her eyes were focused on Sasuke, probably watching his reaction. She frowned when there was none.

Kakashi waved at her. "How about you come down and try again? Let's see how many times you can go up."

Sakura nodded and made her way down to the ground. Kakashi took out his trusted Make-Out Paradise book and started to read while his three students ran back towards the trees. Though, it _was_ kind of disappointing to read a book that had been read so many times before: Kakashi really craved a new addition to the series. Drowning out the frustrated cries and exhausted sighs, he made himself comfortable and turned back to chapter 1.

And the peace lasted surprisingly long: he had made it all the way to chapter 6 before he was interrupted.

"You done, Sakura?" Kakashi asked without looking up from his book. He was in the middle of a very exciting part where Erika would finally declare her love for Jira and he didn't want Sakura's loud footsteps to ruin the moment.

"I – yeah, sensei," she breathed when she finally stood before him, "I can't go up another time."

"How many times did you manage?"

Sakura hesitated. "Only six."

Kakashi stopped reading and looked up, snapping the book shut. That was surprising: he didn't recall Sakura having such low chakra reserves. _Only six times_, he repeated slowly, letting the thought sink in. He groaned inwardly. Though it could be fixed, the real problem was _time_. It was obvious that Sakura's physical strength was the reason for her low reserves and building up sufficient stamina could take a while.

Kakashi was silent for a long time while he mulled it over in his head. "Alright then, Sakura, I'm giving you an individual training programme," Kakashi began as he stood up, "you're going to run laps. Every morning you'll be here an hour before our scheduled meeting time and run laps until you can't run any further."

"But – sensei!" She looked outraged. "How am I supposed to follow _your_ training when I'm completely drained from _mine_?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Not my problem. It's my job to prepare you for the real world, not to be nice." He swallowed slowly and guilt filled him when he saw Sakura's head lower. His voice softened. "Maybe you should ask Naruto and Sasuke for help – they are your teammates, after all. If you help them with their tree climbing, they might show you some exercises to improve your strength."

Sakura lifted her head back up and Kakashi noted a small spark in her eyes. He watched her nod and turn around, running back towards the trees. He saw her call the two boys, saw their curious expressions as they moved towards her and saw Sakura launch into an explanation, complete with gestures and hand movements – typical. He smiled.

Pocketing his book, Kakashi walked over the group just in time to catch Sakura's explanation.

"… that's what _you're_ doing wrong. Chakra requires spiritual energy, so if you get all anxious and frantic it doesn't work. You have to _relax_ and totally focus on the tree – that's how you get a steady chakra flow to the bottom of your feet." She stared pointedly at Naruto until he nodded before she turned to Sasuke. "I'm not sure what you're doing wrong. You seem calm enough, so I think the problem is your focus – you keep getting distracted. _And_ you're using too much strength, which keeps breaking trees-" Sakura flushed and clasped her hands over her mouth.

"No, keep going, Sakura," Kakashi ordered, startling her, "it's good to give each other feedback. How else can you improve?"

"Oh…" She nodded quietly. "Well, I was done anyway. Naruto, you need to relax more. And, Sasuke… you need to find a better balance – your physical energy is overruling your spiritual energy."

Kakashi paused when she said her last words. "Hmm, I think you've just given me an idea, Sakura." He turned to the boys. "As it turns out, Sakura is lacking in physical strength and you two are lacking in spiritual strength. I've already given Sakura a personal training schedule for the mornings, but I think it will be a good idea if you were to join her."

"What kind of training?" Sasuke questioned, folding his arms.

"Yeah, are they going to run laps too?" Sakura added.

Kakashi ignored the unimpressed look in Sasuke's eyes. "No, running will only help to increase your physical strength," he explained patiently, "so, in order to gain more spiritual strength, you two will be meditating."

"Meditating?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"Meditating," Kakashi stated firmly, "and I've got the perfect exercise in mind." He smiled behind his mask and bent down to pick up a small leaf from the ground. He held it in his opened palm and showed it to the two boys. "You've probably heard of this exercise before – or practiced it in the Academy – but I'll explain it anyway. You see this leaf? Your job is to put in on your forehead and keep it there using your chakra." Kakashi gently pressed the leaf against his own brow and sent a small chakra stream to it, keeping it in place. After a few seconds he stopped and let the blade twirl down to the ground.

"So it's just like the tree climbing?" Sasuke was staring down at the leaf. "I _do_ remember this from the Academy, but it didn't really help back then so I don't see how it's going to help now."

Naruto was silent, looking back and forth between Sasuke and Kakashi. It was weird not having him remark on the training – it was characteristic of Naruto to be greatly opposed to anything that did not involve some hands-on action. Yet he was quiet and listening intently… weird, Kakashi decided.

"The basics _are_ pretty similar to the tree climbing, _however_… this is much easier. The forehead is one of the easiest places to gather chakra, unlike the feet. It won't really improve your chakra control to be honest, but it _will_ improve your concentration and, in turn, your spiritual energy." Kakashi stared into Sasuke's eyes to assess his reaction to the explanation. It took only a few seconds before he had to look away.

"And we're doing this in the mornings?" Sasuke asked in a tone that suggested acceptance.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. Every morning one hour before our meeting time, you will meditate with the leafs. Understood?" He looked at the boys. "You too, Naruto?"

The blond nodded in a way that unnerved Kakashi – it was so serious. It reminded him of the Naruto he had left behind in the other timeline, someone who meant business and knew when to take responsibility, someone who was tainted by betrayal and many hardships. So why did this young and _innocent_ – for lack of a better word – Naruto have those eyes?

Kakashi sighed, trying to shake it from his mind. "Alright, I think it's time to head back. You've been at it for a few hours now and I don't want to risk you guys using up too much chakra. So go home, get some rest and I expect all of you to be here at 6AM sharp to start off your individual training."

And with that, Kakashi turned on his heel and headed back towards the bridge that led into the village. He heard three sets of footsteps follow behind him. As he walked, he realised this really was the perfect plan: Sakura would increase her physical power; Naruto and Sasuke would raise their spiritual power; they would all be training at the same time so they could get used to each other and build bonds and – the best thing about this plan – this would all happen while Kakashi stayed in bed. He grinned and mentally patted himself on the back.

"Hey, Sasuke," a nervous voice said behind him, "I was wondering if you could show me some moves to help me – um – increase my strength." A beat of silence. "I could help you with your spiritual chakra control." More silence. "I mean, we're a team, we'll work better if we're all stronger."

Finally, Sasuke replied, "I guess we could spar sometimes."

Kakashi could practically _hear_ Sakura's smile spreading across her face. "Awesome! When do you want to start?"

"If you're not too tired after a double training, then we'll give it a shot," Sasuke chuckled and Kakashi almost stopped walking; he would never get used to that.

They soon reached the bridge and Kakashi turned back once more to face his team. Sakura's face was split into a large grin and she stood close to Sasuke, her arm almost brushing against his. Naruto was lagging behind a bit, with an expression on his face that suggested his mind was elsewhere. Kakashi frowned at the team dynamic: it was so… _different_.

"Well, see you all tomorrow!" The Jounin gave a small wave before flickering away in a swirl of leaves, deciding to leave his doubts behind.

* * *

"No, don't leave me, _please_!"

The shrill sound cut through his body all the way to the bone. He wanted to turn around and say something like _'it will all be okay'_ or _'I'll fix it'_, but he had already said those words a lifetime ago. It had been lies then, it would be lies now. And he couldn't bear to lie to her again.

A dark chuckle tore him away from his thoughts and he finally allowed his eyes to look up. The man – for he could hardly be called a boy anymore – was smirking at him. Kakashi wanted to punch him, to launch himself at the man and slam a fist into that pretty face of his. Back then, he had tried to forgive him, tried to chase after him, but that was all in the past. They were in a different time now. And now, Kakashi would not allow him to walk away.

"Please…" Sakura cried out. All the strength had gone: she knew there was only one way this could end.

"You wouldn't understand," the man said, "you're too weak to understand. Staying in this village… what a ridiculous idea! There is no reason to play make-believe shinobi with you weaklings! If you're strong, there is nothing here for you anymore…"

Kakashi felt the heat course through his body. His fingers twitched and the kunai in his pouch was _so close_ – all he needed was one small movement of his hand and then he could stab the knife into the man, end it all, end it_ now_. His fingers started moving-

"I guess I should thank you, _sensei_."

\- and stopped. _What?_

"I owe all of this to you. Without your training, I would never have gotten where I am today – I would still be a nobody. You made Team 7 the strongest team this village has ever seen and for that I owe you. So thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi stared at the man. This was wrong, this was all wrong. This should not be happening… not like this. Even as the thoughts entered his mind, the image before him was changing, moulding, into something _horrible_. Kakashi tried to speak, but only a guttural noise left his throat. Before his eyes, the black hair turned to blond, and the red eyes turned blue, a cold blue, a _dead_ blue.

"Naruto," Kakashi rasped.

"Kakashi," Naruto replied.

And then he was gone. He had flickered into the darkness, leaving no trace behind to indicate he had ever been there. Sakura's cries were getting louder and they were making it hard for him to concentrate. Kakashi just kept staring at the spot were Naruto had stood, some hopeful – and stupid – part of his brain believing he would come back if he could only stare hard enough.

"Why didn't you stop him?" It was barely a whisper. "Why did you let him get away?"

"Sakura," Kakashi managed, looking at her broken figure, "I… everything will be alright-"

It was like someone had possessed her, like that word had triggered some horrible inner demon from the back of her mind. "No, it will _not_ be alright! Naruto's gone, Sasuke's blind," she screamed, pulling at her hair and scratching her scalp, "you're the _worst_ sensei ever! This is all your fault!"

Kakashi extended a hand, trying to reach out to her, but she slapped it away. Kakashi cringed when she did. He didn't understand what was happening… she couldn't mean this, Sakura would never say this, she was just mad and sad and confused. He looked into her eyes: the sparkling green was dull and full of malice, all directed at him.

"And you…" Something glinted in her hands. "You killed me."

The kunai swept through the air and a squashing sound rang out, reverberating through him all the way to his core. Kakashi looked down. The blood was already seeping through his clothes and he could feel a numbing cold wash over his body. He looked back up, staring into Sakura's eyes pleadingly.

She smirked and twisted the knife.

* * *

Kakashi panicked. Fear slammed into him like a cold hand squeezing his heart. He lurched upright in a tangled mess of blankets, cold sweat on his forehead and a sour taste in his mouth. He hugged his arms around his stomach – it had seemed _so real_, he swore he could still feel the pain. Kakashi's mind was reeling and for the first time since he had come back to the past, he felt genuine fear. There was a reason time travel scrolls didn't exist: it was something that shouldn't be tampered with. One tiny change could undo a lifetime of work, erase countless memories… _change_ people.

And Kakashi wasn't sure anymore if he was making the right choices.

* * *

**A/N: Not the most exciting chapter, a lot of talking and not much action, but it's necessary. Kakashi has introduced his training methods and is finally starting to realise that changing the past can have consequences that you can never predict beforehand. **

**Probably one or two more chapters before the Wave Mission starts and we get into the main plot! **


	5. Ruby

The Colour Red

**A/N: Wooh, another chapter! - _finally_. This chapter gave me _so_ much trouble, I think I've rewritten the first scene like three times now. Anyway, thank you to everyone who's been favouriting and following this story and, of course, everyone who's reviewed so far! You guys were so awesome last time and really sweet about the uploading schedule :). **

**I hope it was worth the wait!**

* * *

Chapter 4 – Ruby

It was a long night.

His blankets had been discarded a long time ago as the heat had been _stifling_ and Kakashi was now tossing and turning in his bed. He kept drifting in and out of sleep, to the point where the line between reality and dreams was blurring. For a long while Kakashi was convinced he was actually _dead_, killed by Sakura's knife and simply _existing_ in some kind of afterlife until the chirping of a bird had made him realise he was actually in his room, staring up at the ceiling.

Images of angry green eyes and smirking blonds assaulted his vision and Kakashi was starting to get more and more uncomfortable as the night progressed. He was already wishing he could go back to the past – or the future – or _wherever_ he came from. Though it could definitely be said that _this_ was the superior timeline, based on the relative peace and lower death toll, Kakashi just wanted to go back. Back to a simpler time and back to a better time.

He lifted his eyes to the alarm clock and watched the angry red digits stare back at him. _5:45AM_. Only 15 minutes until his team's first individual training session began. That gave him about two hours before he needed to start thinking about getting out of bed and making his way over there. Already, Kakashi could feel his eyes sliding shut, sinking into the dreamland once more.

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Kakashi was uncomfortably hauled from his hazy state as his Jounin training kicked in, making him sit up and pulling his mask across his face in mere seconds. As he slowly made his way out of bed, an uneasy feeling settled in his mind; the knocking somehow felt urgent and Kakashi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He blamed it on instinct.

He didn't bother dressing himself any further and quickly strode towards the door in only his mask and Jounin trousers. Throwing open the door, Kakashi stood face to face with someone he certainly hadn't been expecting, and one he certainly wasn't ready to see.

"Sakura?" He managed, momentarily thrown off-guard.

He was instantly lost as her green eyes met his own. The visions of his dream flickered through his mind once again and he was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she gasped, breathing heavily as she leaned forwards with her hands on her knees, "I came as fast as I could! It's – it's Naruto, he's…" She had to stop to collect her breath.

"Naruto?" Kakashi prompted, alert again, "Sakura, tell me what happened." He pressed, not liking where this was going.

Sakura straightened herself up again, though her cheeks were still flushed red. "I don't know, but he was lying on the ground when I arrived to train and he didn't – he didn't wake up. I tried shaking him, but there was no response!" Her voice was shaky.

"Where is he now?" Kakashi urged, already turning back inside to grab some more clothes.

"S-Still at the training ground," Sakura replied with a wavering voice, "I didn't know what to do, so I came to get you, sensei! But – but Sasuke's with him right now!" Her voice regained some volume there.

Kakashi, now fully dressed, stepped back outside and gave her a calculating look before speaking, "Let's go then."

Sakura nodded fervently and the two started running towards the training grounds. Kakashi would have much rather used to rooftops to make his way there, but he forced himself to keep his speed in check and stick to the ground so Sakura could keep up. Though he did feel a bit restless being around her after the dream, he didn't feel save leaving her alone right now. This was still his student: still Sakura. He reasoned they could afford this slow-down as long as Sasuke was watching Naruto.

_Naruto…_

The image of Naruto smirking at him with that callous expression was still stuck in his mind. Could the timeline really be changed _so_ much that the optimistic blond would end up like that? How accurate was that dream?

A cold feeling settled inside Kakashi's gut as more questions started forming. What was wrong with Naruto? Was the timeline already irrevocably changed? Kakashi sifted through his memories, grasping the strands as they passed through his mind, but couldn't remember anything similar happening back in the original timeline. Naruto had never mysteriously collapsed.

It happened almost instantly, barely noticeable for shinobi who weren't at least a Jounin. But Kakashi immediately sensed it: the stirring of the wind and the soft gust that rushed past his ears. The air that pulsed ever so slightly as it got saturated by small quantities of chakra.

"Sakura, stop!" Kakashi warned, already having ground himself to a halt.

The pink-haired girl threw her head over her shoulder to look back at Kakashi while she yelled a "what?" with a confused expression. When she noticed her sensei had stopped running, she gradually lost speed until she was jogging at a comfortable pace. "What's wrong?"

"Sakura—" Kakashi tried, holding out a hand.

But it was too late. Kakashi cringed as he heard a sharp yelp and a thump, followed by Sakura sprawled on the ground. Two shinobi had materialised in front of her, both wearing dark blue outfits that Kakashi could only associate with the Special Jounin. He quickly closed the distance between them while he wondered why they would show up _here_. It could only be meant for him and that realisation just made his worries grow. When he reached Sakura, he hurriedly helped her to her feet.

"Kakashi Hatake, the Hokage has urgently requested your presence." The first man declared as he shifted his glassed.

"Now?" Kakashi replied, annoyance already creeping into his tone, "with all due respect, I have more important things on my mind right now. I just found out one of my students is in trouble and-"

"We are aware of that." The second man held up a hand. "Naruto Uzumaki has already been moved to the hospital. Kakashi, the Hokage finds your behaviour towards your students inexcusable and wants to speak with you _right_ _now_ before you are brought before the council."

Kakashi stared at the men. "The council?" he repeated, tacking an imaginary '_already?_' on at the end.

The first man nodded. "Yes," he confirmed, "you have been summoned before the council tomorrow at 10AM."

"Kakashi-sensei," a small voice next to him began, "what's going on? Why do you need to go to the council? What do they mean with your behaviour towards your students – do they mean _us_?"

Kakashi had almost forgotten Sakura was still standing next to him and it seemed the Special Jounin had too, judging by the flash of surprise that flitted across their faces.

The man with the glasses coughed awkwardly. "Right – um – miss, you shouldn't worry about grown-up things." He tried to give her a reassuring smile before turning back to Kakashi. "Kakashi Hatake, you will come with us now."

"Sakura, why don't you go find Sasuke now and train with him until I'm back?" Kakashi suggested, giving her shoulder a small squeeze before turning to walk away. After only two steps, he stopped: his mind was commanding him to say more, to console her like he usually did. He struggled against the impulse for a few more second, before succumbing to it. "Don't worry about me, Sakura, everything will be alright."

He just hoped his intuition was leading him down the right path.

* * *

Kakashi began talking as soon as he sat down, "So what was that procession for?" He didn't even try hiding the annoyance in his voice: he was one of the best Jounin in this village, for God's sake! – he didn't need to be escorted all the way here.

The Hokage gave him a hard look and Kakashi settled down at once: this was serious. There was a heavy silence in the air that lasted way too long as the older man looked him over, as if struggling with what to say. Kakashi wanted nothing more than to break the tension so he could ask about Naruto's condition, but he wisely held his tongue and waited.

"Kakashi," the Hokage finally started, "what's going on with you? A second student in the hospital, in the span of only _days_… This is starting to become a real problem."

"How is Naruto?" Kakashi interjected quickly when the Hokage paused to collect his words.

"He is stable, Kakashi," Sarutobi replied, giving him a small nod, "but he is suffering from chakra exhaustion, so he'll have to stay in the hospital for at least a few days, even with his extraordinary healing." He let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Kakashi, tell me how this happened."

The Jounin was getting frustrated, but he wisely kept his emotions inside. "I have no idea how this happened, Lord Third. I woke up this morning with Sakura pounding on my door, telling me that Naruto had collapsed." He folded his arms pointedly. "I am as clueless as anyone else."

"Well, luckily, _we do_ have information on what happened," Sarutobi lifted up the top paper from the pile in front of him and held it to eye-level. "It seems Naruto was up all night trying to _climb_ _a tree_."

Kakashi's eyes widened when the realisation set in. He thought back to the previous day, racking his brain for signs that could have predicted this. Naruto _had_ been acting strangely, but that couldn't possibly have suggested he'd be up all night _climbing trees_! He thought back further, to the start of the training: did he even explain the consequences of using too much chakra? He couldn't remember clearly, but he was sure he at least dropped some hints about it being deadly if you lost control of your chakra. No… there was definitely no way to have predicted this.

"I… I _did_ start teaching them about chakra control yesterday," Kakashi finally admitted, "but there was no way I could have known that it would end up like this."

"Still, it resulted with Naruto in the _hospital_."

"Lord Third, there was nothing I could do." Kakashi insisted.

"You were being _irresponsible—_"

"I was doing my _job_! I'm preparing these ninja for a life on the battlefield! I'm not going to _coddle_ them," he hissed out the word, "and yes – sometimes – _accidents _happen!" He slammed a fist on the desk.

Silence filled the room and Kakashi cursed himself, slowly pulling back his hand. He had let his emotions get the best of him and he had definitely gone too far this time. But whenever this subject came up, about the way Konoha trained their shinobi, Kakashi just couldn't help himself. He blamed it on his own childhood: he knew what war could do to inexperienced people. And now his future experiences just fuelled his belief: there was another war coming.

The silence was eventually broken by the Hokage, who let out another sigh. "I know, Kakashi, I know," He gave him a small smile. "And under normal circumstances, that is exactly how this would have been handled – as an accident. _However_, these are not normal circumstances. The council was already looking into your training method and attitude towards your students as a result of the – incident – three days ago. Needless to say, this is _not_ helping your case."

"I understand that the council meeting is tomorrow?" Kakashi could only ask.

"Yes, tomorrow at 10AM," Sarutobi confirmed, "I called you here because I wanted to speak with you before the meeting. You know how the council is, they will look into _everything_ you've done during your time as a Jounin, and I don't hold enough power to alter whatever decision they come up with. So I suggest you think long and hard about what you're going to say tomorrow."

Kakashi took that as his cue to leave and stood up. "I understand, Lord Third."

"But seriously though, Kakashi," the Hokage called out after him, "they are your team, and you should take better care of them."

* * *

Kakashi gave himself over to his feet, going by purely on auto-pilot. He vaguely recognised the path leading towards the bridge just in front of the training fields. His thoughts were focused purely on the conversation he just had with the Hokage: he was going to have to face the council tomorrow, and there was some genuine nervousness tinting Kakashi's thoughts now. With only Sasuke's incident, there would have been no chance of Kakashi getting suspended, but with Naruto added to it… the council could not overlook this.

And there was another thing bothering him. _"They are your team, and you should take better care of them."_

And the Hokage was right, _absolutely right_. They were his team, his cute little students. Kakashi had been too blinded by the future to truly see what was in front of him _here_. Yes, he saw them as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, but he didn't really see them as _his_ students – the same people who he had left behind in the other timeline. But now, he realised that it was time to leave the future behind and focus on the past and actually care for these kids. He had a chance now to help shape them into strong, independent adults… It would be stupid to waste this opportunity by wallowing in fear of the future.

As far-fetched as the dream from last night may have been, Kakashi had to accept it as a real possibility of the way things could go down. _If_ he was careless with his decisions. It was time to get serious, and this time for real.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi looked up and realised he was already at the bridge – that walk had been much quicker than he had expected. Sakura was waving urgently at him and he saw Sasuke leaning against the railing across from her, hands folded across his chest. Kakashi quickly increased his pace until he was on the bridge as well.

"I didn't expect you two to still be here," Kakashi declared, glad he didn't come all this way for nothing, "did you manage to get some training done?"

"We tried to spar, but I couldn't concentrate," Sakura admitted sullenly, "how is Naruto?"

"He is stable, but he'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days. It turns out that Naruto was up all night trying to get the tree climbing exercise down and he is now suffering from chakra exhaustion." Kakashi explained to his students.

Sasuke gave him a puzzled expression. "Chakra exhaustion? How did he manage that? – tree climbing doesn't use up much chakra." He shook his head. "That idiot."

"I'm not sure myself actually," Kakashi conceded. _That was a good point, though – how did Naruto manage to use up so much chakra? _"He'll just have to tell us himself when he's finally awake and we can visit him. Until then… I think I owe you guys an apology. I was careless with the training and should have explained the risks better. It won't happen again."

"It's not your fault, sensei," Sakura gave him a small smile, though it was more grim than anything else.

Kakashi gave her a worried look before speaking again, "I want to really urge you not to go beyond your limits with training. Even if you feel like you're falling behind, don't go exhausting yourself – you've seen the results first-hand today. Just come to me and we'll figure something out together." He gave them a thumbs-up and smiled beneath his mask. "Now, I think it's best if I dismiss the two of you: it's been a rough day and we all deserve some rest. Tomorrow I expect you back here bright and early for your individual training, but after that you can do whatever. I have some things I need to take care of, so I won't be there to train you."

"Is it the council?" Sakura shot him a sharp look. "What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I told you not to worry about that, Sakura," he grimaced.

"But it concerns us, doesn't it? They're angry at you, right?" she pressed, her voice rising.

"I think that's enough for now, Sakura," Kakashi admonished, "go home now, you deserve the rest."

Sakura gave a barely noticeable nod and walked off. Kakashi followed her with his gaze, wondering if he was doing the right thing by excluding her from the information. But she was only 12 – a _kid_ – and not ready for the shady politics of the ninja world. Satisfied with his choice, Kakashi turned back to the remaining student, who was also watching Sakura go.

"Shouldn't you be heading home, too?" Kakashi asked, still not feeling very comfortable being completely alone with Sasuke.

"Not really," he shrugged, "I didn't really plan anything for today except our training session. And it's not like I have anything better to do, so…"

Sasuke trailed off into silence and for a few seconds there was some unspoken understanding between them: a rare, vulnerable moment. They _were_ kindred spirits after all. But the moment soon passed when Sasuke scowled, as if he regained his senses and realised _who_ he was talking to. He quickly pushed himself off the railing and marched away.

"Sasuke," Kakashi called out, before he could stop himself, "you up for a rematch then?"

The Uchiha paused and turned around, giving Kakashi an appraising look. But then a confident smirk filled his face. "Of course."

* * *

**A/N: A bit shorter than usual, but very important in the long run! Stuff is going down~ ****And Kakashi is finally getting serious with his team!**

**See you all next time! **


	6. Spanish Red

The Colour Red

**A/N: Such a long wait! I didn't expect it to take _that_ long to get this chapter done, but I've been so busy! At least things have gotten a lot less hectic now, so I should be able to get back to regular one-week updates... hopefully. Anyway, I hope you guys haven't forgotten about this story - haha - and enjoy this extra long chapter! **

* * *

Chapter 5 – Spanish Red

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The stream of fire shot from Sasuke's mouth into a huge inferno, blazing through the trees and charring them all black and crisp. His eyes quickly scanned through the area when the fire died out, searching for any sign of Kakashi – honestly, that man was impossible to catch. There was a small rustling a long distance away, just beyond where the fire touched. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and darted forwards, already grabbing a handful of shuriken from his pouch: it was probably best to lure him out if that was really Kakashi, instead of going in head-first – Kakashi was very fond of setting traps, after all.

Sasuke hurled the shuriken towards the rustling and a snapping sound instantly echoed through the trees. A trap indeed. The Uchiha didn't bother checking inner workings or the nature of the trap, but was already alert and ready for any signs of movement around him. He hated fighting an opponent he couldn't see – it just reminded him of the fact that he _still_ didn't have his Sharingan.

The wind howled as something shot towards him and Sasuke quickly ducked down, grasping into his pouch for more shuriken. He hastily threw them towards the source of the attack, annoyed as he noted the aim was very sloppy and too hastily done. There was no way it would have hit the target. Sasuke stood up and gripped onto a kunai he had taken out, his body alert with adrenaline, eyes scanning the area with renewed focus. The air flickered and suddenly there was Kakashi, brandishing a kunai and charging towards him. Sasuke hurriedly lifted up his own weapon to block the attack, but it wasn't even a match and within seconds he was on the ground, on his back and with a knife to his neck.

"Dead," Kakashi declared with a smirk, stepping off Sasuke.

The Uchiha groaned as he sat up, bringing up a hand to feel his neck. He let out a sigh: lost again.

"Shall we head back?" Kakashi asked, indicating behind him.

Sasuke nodded absentmindedly and stood up, following the Jounin who had already started walking back through the charred trees and towards a more open space. The pair walked in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts. Sasuke was not as bothered by the loss as he thought he'd be, but it still stung. Kakashi was the first opponent he'd lost against – or posed even the slightest challenge – in a long time, and it just reminded him of the fact that he was still _so_ far behind with his training.

They soon reached the clearing and then the bridge where they had met that afternoon. Sasuke looked up at the sky, which was now painted in an orange hue. He was standing next to his teacher, the two of them wrapped in silence. Sasuke was struggling to find something to say, because the awkward undertone hidden in that silence was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

"So, what was—"

"You know, that wasn't actually that bad," Kakashi interrupted, drawing out his words, "better than the bell test at least. But, next time, try not to reveal your own position so much: you were so obsessed with attacking me that you didn't even try to conceal yourself." A beat of silence. "So, do you know how to use the Phoenix Flower Jutsu?"

Sasuke was thrown off slightly by that random question, but quickly managed to reply: "Yeah, I've heard of it before – it's Fire Style, right?"

"Exactly." Kakashi nodded, "It's a technique that creates a volley of small fireballs that fly around randomly – it's very difficult to dodge. It might not be as powerful as the Fireball Jutsu, but at least it isn't as predictable. In situations like the one we were just in, I'd suggest using that jutsu instead."

"Are you offering to teach?"

Sasuke could see Kakashi's lips twitch slightly underneath his mask. "Maybe. You'll have to improve your chakra control first, though." He fell silent and gave the Uchiha an odd look.

The silence was back and it was even more uncomfortable than before: Kakashi was staring at him in a way that unnerved him deeply. When Sasuke realised his teacher wasn't going to attempt to start the conversation up again, he went back to the question he wanted to initially ask: "So, what was Sakura talking about earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi parried casually – almost _too_ casually, Sasuke decided.

"All that stuff about the council," the Uchiha elaborated in the same tone as Kakashi, "Sakura said they were angry at you. So, is she right?" He pressed.

There was that expression again. The way Kakashi looked at him… as if he was expecting him to do something and then ended up confused when he didn't. It was weird, like Kakashi knew something about him that even Sasuke wasn't aware of. After a few seconds of locking eyes with each other, the Jounin tore his gaze away and took a few steps forwards, his back to Sasuke now.

"If I didn't tell Sakura, what makes you think I'd tell you?" Kakashi asked pointedly, before sighing deeply, "it's nothing that concerns the two of you. Now, I think it's best if we both head home – it's pretty late and you have your individual training in the morning." He started walking.

"_Right_," Sasuke drew out, not moving an inch.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and watched Kakashi walk off, his mind mulling over the events of today. He had to admit that this was not quite the team he was expecting when he finally graduated: a loud-mouthed idiot, a fan-girl and an enigmatic teacher that seemed to know way more than he was letting on. A combination that was sure to fail – on paper, at least. And yes, when the teams were decided on that first day, that was exactly what he thought. Sasuke just wanted to become more powerful and because Konoha only allowed three-man Genin squads, he'd just have to accept that. But he really had no intention of getting to know his team or his teacher.

But now, even against his better judgement, he was starting to get involved. He wanted to know what was going on with Kakashi and the council! Sasuke smirked slightly at himself and headed off as well, to the place he'd never expected to visit: Sakura Haruno's house.

* * *

Kakashi hated to admit it, but he was _nervous_. He was uncharacteristically punctual, standing in front of the Hokage Tower at 9:50AM, which gave him a good 10 minutes to review his defence and the way he wanted to steer this conversation. He _needed_ to get to the council to agree with him, to allow him to stay part of Team 7 and to let him go on missions again: the bridge builder kept coming closer to Konoha and he _had_ to go on that mission.

Kakashi took a deep breath and went inside – no delaying the inevitable anymore.

Two flights of stairs further and he stood in front of the Council office. The wooden door was grand and sturdy, the Konoha symbol painted on it in a dark red colour. It was a door that Kakashi had passed many times before, but one he had never paid any attention to. Okay, so maybe he _was_ stalling a little, but it would do no good to go in there without a level-head. After another few seconds, Kakashi deemed himself completely ready and pushed against the door.

The room was bare with simplicity. Four red couches contrasting with the blue of the floor were centred around a mahogany table, which Kakashi noted was filled with numerous papers. Three of the couches were already taken: the Third Hokage was sitting at the head of the table, with the two council members occupying the sides. As he looked around the room, he fought the impulse to simply stride towards the empty seat and instead waited patiently at the door until he was acknowledged – no use agitating them with his lack of manners right from the get-go.

"Kakashi Hatake, take a seat." Homura spoke, barely looking up from the papers clutched in his hand.

The Jounin reached the couch in three long strides – it really wasn't a large room – and sat down, folding his arms and waiting for them to start.

"Kakashi Hatake, we are here today to review your performance as a Jounin and to discuss the treatment of your students," Homura began, reading off from the paper, "to review: you retired from ANBU to Jounin at the age of 22 and have had five Genin teams assigned to you up till now, four of which you've failed. Could you explain to us why all these teams did not meet your standards?"

"I don't really see how that is relevant," Kakashi replied stoically. He could already see the direction they were pushing this conversation in and he was not liking it one bit.

"It's purely for a character assessment, Kakashi," Koharu explained, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Her tone was clipped and precise as she explained. "Because you've failed all your teams up till now, we have very little to go on regarding your performance as a Jounin. A character assessment will have to make up for that."

Kakashi only nodded, not convinced. "The test I've been using each year is the bell test. It's meant to evaluate the teamwork capabilities of the group by putting them in a situation where at least one is set to fail and it's more beneficial to work alone. If they team manages to put their own feelings aside and focus on the group, then I pass them. If not, they fail."

The Jounin looked on as Koharu started taking short notes on the blank paper that laid before her on the table. He resisted the urge to try and see what was being written and instead focused on Homura – who was casting quick glances at his own papers – and the Hokage, who was regarding him silently.

When Koharu finished her work, Homura spoke again: "So you think this is a good method of judging teamwork?"

Kakashi didn't answer straight away: he knew this question held a deeper meaning, even though it sounded innocent enough. When he came here today, he expected the council to be harsh and critical, but fair nonetheless. However, based on their behaviour up until now, that was far from the truth. It seemed the council had already made their decision – and that decision was his termination as the leader of Team 7. And with this line of questioning they were trying to discredit him as a capable squad leader: his methods would be deemed too harsh, his views on teamwork flawed, his concern for his team too little.

"_I_ think it is a good method of judging teamwork," a voice spoke up, "after all, I used the exact same test with _my_ Genin team."

Kakashi held his grin inside and only gave Sarutobi a quick glance of appreciation. There was that method cut off – because there was no way to proceed that way without critiquing the Hokage and his legendary Sannin team.

Koharu had paused writing for a short second, before she scribbled down her last word and sat upright again. Homura gave the Hokage a quick look before continuing with a completely different angle: "_If_ you remain the Jounin in charge of Team 7, what are your plans for them?"

Kakashi grinned to himself: these were easy questions. "Well, based on their individual skills I would class them as a front-line team. Sasuke is already very capable with ninjutsu and I see a lot of potential in Naruto, even though he is a bit of a dark horse. I predict those two will become very powerful. As for Sakura – she is _very_ intelligent and has exceptional chakra control. I'm seeing her in a supporting role, but not hanging back too much. Maybe a tactician… or healer." He smirked slightly behind his mask. "As for my current plans… well, I've began teaching them the basics of chakra control and have Naruto and Sasuke working on their spiritual strength and Sakura on her physical strength."

Kakashi was glad to see that Sarutobi was giving him a nod of appreciation, because Homura continued his interrogation without missing a beat: "So, what is your opinion on your current team?"

Kakashi allowed himself to smile openly. "Well, I have to admit that I was a bit doubtful at first, but they have really managed to win me over. Naruto is brash, but he is honest and hard-working; Sakura's focus is a little off, but she is caring and attentive; and Sasuke is a little isolated, but very talented. They all have the potential to become great shinobi in their own right, but I think they will shine the most together." He couldn't help the small grin on his face. _If only they knew…_

"And yet… two of your students have already visited the hospital. Sasuke Uchiha, who bruised his ribs during your test and Naruto Uzumaki, who is being treated for chakra exhaustion this very second. So how did that happen?" Homura pressed.

"Like any other injury happens – because we're shinobi and we _fight_," Kakashi said sharply, "I get the feeling that you're implying I hurt them on purpose." There. He said it. He was not going to drag this out any longer – if they wanted him gone, he might as well confront them head-on.

Koharu had stopped writing all together and both she and Homura were now watching him carefully.

The female council member was the first to speak. "Perhaps, but it's not that strange for us to think that. We wouldn't be having this conversation if your students got injured in the field – _actually_ fighting. You're a Jounin, you know your own strength, so forgive me for finding it _very_ unbelievable that you'd _accidently_ hit too hard."

Kakashi was _really_ starting to regret going hard on Sasuke during the bell test – who knew it could have so many consequences? And honestly, the council was making a valid point. Sure, they were over-exaggerating the situation, but he could definitely see where they were coming from. Kakashi inwardly scowled: no good agreeing with your opponent's arguments. He needed to turn this around.

"I overestimated Sasuke during the bell test – his skill level was far above the rest and it caught me by surprise. I wanted to see what he was capable of, so I pushed him a little further than the other two. I never meant for it to go that far." Kakashi droned, being careful to slip just the right amount of reverent emotion into his voice. He knew the council would appreciate these words.

And they did. The pair of them nodded and Koharu quickly scribbled down a few words; the paper was quickly becoming full with her notes.

"Kakashi Hatake, we certainly do not dispute that you are a great shinobi and we appreciate all the hard work that you have done for this village," Koharu began after she and Homura had exchanged a long look, "but we've come to the conclusion that you might not be very suitable as a squad leader after all. I mean, to tell you the truth, we only chose you as the Jounin for Team 7 because we thought you would be an excellent teacher for Sasuke Uchiha."

_Wrong, _Kakashi thought bitterly, though he wisely kept it to himself. He cast a quick glance towards Sarutobi and noticed the corners of his mouth twitch downward in a grim expression. The Jounin then turned back towards Koharu, who was still speaking:

"With your Sharingan you would make the perfect sensei to help him awaken his own bloodline limit," Koharu nodded sagely, "_However_, Homura and I have decided that it would be wise to find another Jounin better suited to the needs of the team. We do not mean this as an insult, Kakashi, because you _are_ a competent shinobi, just not squad leader material."

So that was it then. They were going to terminate him after all. A surge of anger swept through Kakashi and his fingers curled into a fist. They couldn't _do_ this! He opened his mouth, about to tell them _exactly_ what he thought of this – conduct be damned! – when, suddenly—

BAM!

"Please don't suspend him!"

The result was instant. Kakashi spun round in his chair at the familiar voice and was faced with a red-faced Sakura, breathing heavily in the doorway. Next to her stood Sasuke, face still pale but with a little flush toning his cheeks. Koharu rose in indignation and began reprimanding the pair immediately, but Sakura's eyes were shining with a glint that Kakashi remembered clearly from her future self and she refused to back down, repeating her plea. Only a few seconds later two civilian workers also entered the room, apologising profusely and probably there to take the Genin back out. Kakashi spared a small moment to internally comment on the bad security in the Hokage Tower, before turning round to Sarutobi.

The two locked eyes and the Hokage simpered before speaking, "Settle down, everyone! Shou, Yasu, don't worry about it – you can go now."

The two civilians bowed quickly before taking their leave, leaving silence in their wake. Sakura was still breathing pretty hard, her face now completely scarlet as she seemed to have realised exactly _what _she was doing. She gave Sasuke a nervous glance, picking at her nails and unable to look Kakashi in the eye.

"What is the meaning of this, Kakashi?" Koharu challenged in an icy voice. She sat back down and folded her arms, her displeasure clearly visible on her face. "These are _your_ students, after all."

"Calm down, Koharu," Sarutobi said soothingly, "I'm sure Kakashi had nothing to do with this. Am I right, miss Haruno? Mister Uchiha?" He looked at them both.

Sakura nodded quickly. "Yeah, we – we came here of our own accord!" She looked at Sasuke one more time and Kakashi saw him give a small nod. "Please don't suspend Kakashi-sensei! He – he is a really great sensei and he's training us so well, we don't want anyone else!" Her voice was shaky.

"We have ruled Kakashi Hatake to be unfit to train your team," Homura replied in a stoic voice, "because of his recklessness your teammate is now in the hospital. And you, mister Uchiha, got injured – can you really say he is a good teacher?"

All eyes were now on Sasuke and Kakashi gave him a curious glance, waiting to see what he would say.

"I like Kakashi as a sensei. Even though we've only been with him for a small week, I feel like I've made a lot of progress already." He shrugged. "Yeah, I got injured, but it wasn't very serious and at least he's pushing me. I'm pretty sure my Sharingan will awaken if we keep going like this."

Those seemed to be the magic words. Kakashi watched in amazement as the council stiffened minutely and shared a few pointed looks. Looking back at Sasuke, he could see a small smirk on his face. Sasuke had done this many times before, Kakashi realised, and he seemed to be a natural at this now. Manipulating the council with promises of his Sharingan… the kid was pretty shrewd.

When it was clear that Koharu and Homura wouldn't speak, the Hokage took it upon him to begin, "Well, it seems that Kakashi's students want to keep him as their sensei – don't you think we should honour their wishes?"

There really was no question as to what would happen. The council wanted Sasuke, as the last Uchiha and last chance at the Sharingan, on their side – on Konoha's side. When Kakashi posed a threat to kid, by alienating him with his rough treatment, he _had_ to go, whatever the means. But now, with Sasuke himself saying that Kakashi was a good sensei and helping towards awaking the Sharingan, there was _no_ way they would terminate him.

Kakashi felt a small smile fill his face as he looked at the council, who both seemed to be conflicted about how to handle this now. They couldn't just let him go – two kids swaying their decision would reflect poorly on their perceived power, after all. So there would undoubtedly be some sort of punishment for Kakashi. He just hoped he would be able to go on missions again after today… he wasn't sure _when_ that bridge builder was going to arrive exactly, but it couldn't be far off now.

Finally, Homura spoke: "Yes, you're right, Lord Third. If the students really want to keep their sensei, then we don't want to deny them." There was a pause. "_However_, we still aren't completely convinced that Kakashi is a capable team leader. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but we want regular check-ups for at least a month after today." He turned to Kakashi, addressing him directly now. "If you are unable to fulfil your duties, then you _will _be terminated. Understood?"

Kakashi dipped his head. "Yes, of course." Behind him he could hear Sakura exhaling in relief.

"Well, I think we are all in agreement then," the Hokage smiled, "I think we can end this meeting now."

"Ah, Lord Third, one more thing, please," Kakashi remembered, "can we go on missions again?"

The Hokage and the council exchanged some looks before he answered, "Yes, I don't see any reason why you couldn't."

Kakashi let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding – a breath that contained a week worth's of tension. He could feel his body start to relax and found himself grinning widely behind his mask. Things were finally getting back on track and Kakashi actually felt like he had some control over the situation back. No more worrying over the council – now he could focus on his team and the upcoming mission and how he was going to prepare for it.

"You are dismissed." The Hokage waved a hand and Kakashi stood up, turning to his two students and giving them a small, concealed thumbs-up.

* * *

"I can't believe you two just barged into a council meeting like that," Kakashi said with a hint of respect.

"I _know_," Sakura said, voice full of distress and face burning red, "I can't believe we just did that! Oh, I hope they won't get mad at us!"

"Calm down, Sakura, it'll be fine," Sasuke told her, "the council loves me – they won't get mad." He smirked again to himself.

"_Still_," Kakashi grinned, "I wouldn't make a habit out of it."

The three of them were walking side by side through the streets of Konoha, now busy with shopping civilians and young Academy kids who just finished school. Kakashi was still surprised with his two students doing what they did. It was something he expected Naruto to do, not stickler-for-the-rules Sakura and aloof Sasuke. Still, it made him feel… happy. His team had stood up for him, even though they didn't even know him that well at this moment in the timeline.

"Where are we going, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked after they had been walking for a good few minutes.

The Jounin gave her a sidelong glance, "We're going to the hospital – I think it's time we go visit Naruto."

Kakashi still felt completely clueless when it came to the blond. Why had he ended up in the hospital? Sasuke had made a good point about that yesterday: tree climbing didn't use up that much energy, so how had Naruto managed to exhaust himself to the point of passing out? Thinking about the kid lying there in the hospital all alone made his stomach clench uncomfortably; he probably hadn't had any visitors yet and must feel so lonely right now. Maybe he should have visited yesterday night instead of sparring with Sasuke…

They continued walking in silence, with Sakura and Sasuke occasionally making small-talk about Naruto's condition or what had just happened with the council. Kakashi was glad to note that Sakura seemed much more amiable towards Naruto this time around, but maybe that was just because she wasn't as focused on Sasuke as before. He did wonder why that was, but couldn't find an answer… maybe everything led back to their first confrontation in the classroom a week ago.

"I've never been here before," Sakura admitted as they walked through the hospital doors.

"Really?" Kakashi replied thoughtfully. "Well, you would make a pretty good medic-nin with your chakra control."

She made a face at him, not looking too enthusiastic about that. Okay then, so Sakura didn't have any aspirations to become a medical ninja at this point. Interesting, Kakashi decided. He wondered when that would happen…

"Excuse me, but in which room is Naruto Uzumaki staying?" Kakashi asked the young kunoichi sitting behind the service counter.

"Naruto Uzumaki? One moment please," She quickly looked over the patients list. "Ah, here we go! He's in room 205. Do you know how to get there?"

Kakashi nodded – seeing a flash of disappointment cross her features – before taking his two students through the doors leading to the actual hospital rooms. Quickly moving towards the second floor, they soon stood in front of room 205. _Well, no use standing here all day,_ Kakashi gave a few rapt knocks on the door.

"Yeah?" a soft voice called out.

Kakashi pushed open the door and felt a grin fill his face at the site that greeted him. Naruto was sitting upright in his bed, propped up against two thick pillows with cup ramen on the table next to him and a comic book clenched in his hands. His face lit up when he saw his team standing in the doorway and he instantly threw down the book.

"You came!"

His tone was so full of surprise that Kakashi felt another stab of guilt: he really needed to pay more attention to Naruto. As he watched Sakura and Sasuke greeting the kid and exchanging questions and answers, Kakashi just felt that statement become more and more definite. He couldn't play favourites like last time around or focus too much one team member; he needed to divide his attention equally now. Because honestly, it _was_ unacceptable that one of his students ended up in the hospital…

Kakashi strolled over to the bed and joined Sakura and Sasuke. "How are you feeling, Naruto?"

"Aah, I'm fine!" he responded happily, but then he frowned. "It's just that those stupid nurses won't let me go home yet! I feel all better!"

Kakashi was almost tempted to use his Sharingan to see Naruto's chakra for himself, but quickly decided against it; it was still too soon for that. "What exactly happened?" he asked instead.

Naruto's frown deepened. "I just trained a little too hard, that's all." His voice trailed off and he cast down his eyes.

"Naruto," Kakashi pressed, "what did you do?"

"It's nothing bad, okay!" the blond hurriedly declared. "I just… wanted to climb the tree so badly but I couldn't do it, so I… used some shadow clones so we could all run at the same time, but it – it didn't go so well…" His face was flushed red.

A sense of relief washed over him and Kakashi felt a small smile creep up on his face. Now it all made sense: Naruto hadn't exhausted himself because of some mysterious reason, he had just used too many shadow clones and it had drained his chakra too quickly.

"Though I commend your determination with the training, why did you spend all night trying to get it right?" Kakashi asked, still a bit puzzled, "Sasuke still hasn't managed it either."

Naruto ignored the Jounin's gaze, his eyes instead flickering between Sakura and Sasuke's faces. And in that moment Kakashi understood. Thinking back, Naruto _had_ begun acting strange after the other two agreed to start sparring together. He let out a sigh: that stupid love triangle was back with a vengeance.

He gave the blond a smile. "Ah, don't worry about it, Naruto. It was mostly my fault. I should have explained the concept of chakra exhaustion to you guys before sending you off to train." When Naruto remained silent, Kakashi continued, "In any case, I'm pretty impressed with you. Using your clones like that is actually a very good method to cut down your training time. In fact, I'll teach you how to train with them next time." He grinned when Naruto finally perked up a bit.

Kakashi finally turned to include his other two students in the conversation. "Now, I'm going home. I want to see you three bright and early tomorrow for our _first mission_."

"Ahh, really?" Naruto said eagerly with a huge grin, "Even me?"

The Jounin chuckled. "I'll talk to the nurses. Just stay here tonight and you'll probably be good to go tomorrow."

Leaving his students to excitedly talk to each other, Kakashi left the room with a small smile on his face. Things were finally looking up again: Naruto was fine, the council was off his back and the team dynamic was improving greatly. He didn't know exactly how much time was left until the bridge builder arrived, but it should be a few days at max, which would at least give Kakashi some time to finish off some of the basic training. And with Naruto using his shadow clones, his training should go a lot smoother as well.

Yes, things were looking up indeed.

* * *

**A/N: Wooh, things have calmed down a bit for Kakashi, but he shouldn't relax just yet! Tazuna is coming closer and closer, after all!  
**

**Thanks for the reviews last time! I'm going to keep trying to keep it all unpredictable and original! Please let me know what you guys think :). **


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